


Blood Gulch Home

by Music_Girl_16



Category: Red vs. Blue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-19
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-04-27 03:36:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5032228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Music_Girl_16/pseuds/Music_Girl_16
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Welcome to Blood Gulch Home, a foster home for children where they have a story of their past to tell.  Follow the lives of Washington, Felix, Tucker, Church, Carolina, Emily Grey,  Tex, Donut, and Grif as they try to get past the hurt they hide and try to move on.  Helping themselves and the others around them along the way.  Perspectives change with each kid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wash: Welcome Home

"Where are we going?” a blonde boy asked, looking terrified

A young man; no older than twenty four with black hair tied in a ponytail with green eyes, dressed in a green button up and black pants; was putting the blonde in a booster seat

“No need to worry, David. We are going to a special home that will take good care of you. Rest assured you that I have worked at this place for awhile, so you will be in safe hands.” The man explained

David started fiddling with his sleeves out of nervousness. He wore a grey shirt with yellow accents all over and a pair of jeans and sneakers. “Don’t worry, the car ride isn’t that long. And you can call me Delta.” Delta said, getting in the driver’s side.

“Okay, Delta.” David mumbled, still not sure if he could trust Delta yet.

Turns out that Delta was right (as always), the car ride was only ten minutes. But David felt relieved as soon as Delta removed him out of the car and onto the sidewalk. “This way, David.” Delta said walking a little bit down the street and going towards a walkway. David followed Delta up the walkway to an old looking mansion but with a nice picket fence, with the words B.G. Home written in a cheerful red and blue paint.

The home was rather quiet for a Saturday. A young woman with brunette hair in a pixie cut was sitting at a desk near the front sorting out paperwork. Since none of the children were awake at the moment, she had a bit of time to catch up on work. She looked up from her work as soon as Delta and David walked in.

“Delta, I was wondering when you would get in.” The lady at the front desk smiled

“My apologies, Sheila. But the paperwork for discharge was quite a lot.” Delta said, giving her a folder of information

Sheila opened it up and gave the young boy a look of pity. “Is he going to be okay?” she asked

“He understands what happened, and he has no other family that can take him in. This is the best place for him.” Delta sighed, looking down at David

“Are you absolutely positive?” she asked, unsurely, “We don’t have room in the red and blue wings until renovations are finished, the AI nursery is off limits, he’s too big to be in the Chorus wing, and too small for the Freelancers.”

“Maybe we could place him with the Freelancers, and hopefully they’ll be able to watch over him until either he grows to belong or until renovations for the reds and blues are finished.” Delta pointed out

“I don’t know, will they even want someone so small living with them?” she wondered

David started backing away feeling more and more uncomfortable and scared. “It’s okay, I can leave.” He said defeatedly

Delta and Sheila both stopped their discussion, and gave him a sympathetic look. “Sweetie, it’s alright. We’re sorry if we’re making you feel unwelcome. But we need to find a place for you. Do you mind staying with a group of nine to twelve year olds?” Sheila explained

David then shook his head. “Then I guess we stick him with the Freelancers until whenever.” Sheila said

David looked up at Sheila with uncertainty, but nodded his head in agreement “Alright then, why don’t tell me your name, sweetie.” She suggested 

David looked up nervously at Delta (who gave a look of encouragement), then at Sheila before he whispered out “David.”

“Well, David, welcome to Blood Gulch Home. This is a foster home for children who need a place to stay either until they want to be adopted or until they’re adults. My name is Sheila, and I’ll be your social worker.” Sheila introduced, “I’m sure you know Delta as one of the patrons of the household. He will help assist in taking care of you as well as the other kids here.”

“You will be living with five other boys that are a bit older than you, but hopefully you’ll get along just fine.” She continued, “Let me give you a tour-“

“Sheila, Alpha wants to see you.” Another man with a light blue shirt and jeans walked in

“Is it important that he see me right now, Epsilon? I have a child to care for right now.” Sheila said, turning away to look at Epsilon

“Yes, since he didn’t tell me anything, it must be that important.” Epsilon said, putting his hands in his pockets

Sheila sighed, then her face lit up with an idea. “Epsilon, would mind if you give David a tour of the home?” she asked

“Because, I have to help Gamma make breakfast for the kids.” Delta answered, going towards the kitchen

“You are such a-“ Epsilon began

“Please, Epsilon. You’re the only one who’s not doing anything at the moment.” Sheila begged

Epsilon looked at Sheila, then back down at David. “Ugh, alright. But you guys owe me one!” he sighed irritably

“Thank you Epsilon.” Sheila smiled, getting up from her desk, “I decided that he would be staying with the Freelancer group for the time being, even if he’s a bit young. o you can also show David his new room and introduce the others to him.” 

She then turned to face David. “Be good for Epsilon, he’ll show you the whole place. And I promise to give you a cookie and some juice for later.” She said, hoping David understood

David nodded his head and gave a small smile. “I’ll be good.” He said quietly

“Great, see you both later.” Sheila smiled, walking away with a swing in her step

Epsilon looked down at David, before letting out a sigh. “Hey there, David. I guess I get to give you a grand tour.” he smiled

David nodded his head. “Now the question that remains,” Epsilon said, looking around “Where do we start?”


	2. Wash: Meeting the Boys

Epsilon showed David the living area, kitchen/dining area, the upstairs bathrooms and wings for the different bedrooms. “Since your profile says you’re seven, we would normally put you with the Reds and Blues, who are six to eight. But since the bedrooms are already filled and we’re undergoing renovations, we have to put you with the Freelancers. Unless you want to put up with the Chorus Kids who are five and under.”  
David didn’t say anything, rather he just bunched up the grey and yellow shirt he was wearing out of nervousness. He shook his head while his cheeks turned pink. 

“Don’t worry, even though the Freelancers are between the ages of nine and twelve, they’re really nice once you get to know them.” Epsilon reassured

They walked down to where the older kids were, who were all pretty much awake, dressed, and doing their chores. They headed to the left where the boys were all slept, opposite of the girls. “Hey dudes, have a new roommate for y’all.” Epsilon greeted as he stepped in the doorway. 

The other five boys stopped what they were doing and focused their attention to Epsilon and David. The room was designed to fit six small kids comfortably, but not five older boys. Though it still had a homey look despite it being slightly cramped. There were three different bunk beds on different sides of the room as well as three cupboards with four rows of drawers and three toy bins somehow managing to be squished in. 

There was a brunette boy with a scarred eye wearing a gold shirt and cargo shorts trying to make the top bunk bed on the right. There was also a blonde boy sitting on the bottom bunk wearing a deep purple shirt with green sleeves and wearing jeans. The tallest one of the group, was wearing a white hoodie with orange accents and black pants who seemed to be intrigued with David. The other two boys looked from where they were sitting in the corner drawing pictures. The one boy drawing moustaches all over the paper had black hair and was wearing a white button up shirt and black shorts. The other boy drawing flowers had tan skin, brown curly hair that reached his ears, and wore a royal blue t-shirt and tan shorts.

“Who’s that?” The boy in purple asked

“He looks a little small to be in our wing.” The boy in gold added

“He’s supposed to be with the Reds and Blues, but there’s no more room for him until renovations are complete.” Epsilon explained, “So he has to stay with you guys, because that’s just plain mean if we stick him with the Chorus babies.”

“What’s his name?” the boy in tye dye asked

“...David.” David whispered shyly

“Hey David, welcome to our room. You can call me Florida, pleased as punch to meet you.” Florida smiled, a little too sweetly

“By the way, David, we call ourselves state names instead of our real names. So we have to find you a state name.” The gold boy explained, “By the way, my name is York.”

“I am North Dakota. But everyone calls me North. My sister is called South.” The purple boy greeted

“My dear boy, I am to be called Wyoming.” The boy in the button up said with an unusual accent declared

“And the tallest boy likes to be called Maine. He only speaks sign language, ‘cause he can’t talk.” North said, gesturing to Maine.

Maine signed hello to David. David shyly waved to Maine, and hid behind Epsilon. “Come on, David. Don’t be scared, we’ll make sure you’re safe.” North said going towards him.

“We need to give him a name...where did you come from?” York asked, “That’s how we got our names.”

“...Seattle...” he whispered

“What state is Seattle in?” North asked, pulling on Epsilon’s shirt

Epsilon scrunched his eyebrows. “Been awhile since I did geography...But I believe Seattle is in the state of Washington,” he shrugged

“Okay, we’ll just call you Washington or Wash for short.” York declared, looking rather quite pleased with himself.

“Anyway, David. You will occupy the bottom bunk with Maine on the top.” Epsilon said moving across the room to where Maine slept.

Maine shook his head and signed a brief sentence, Too High. “Maine, I don’t want David on the top, he’s too small. Besides, I don’t think he can-”

“Epsilon?” Florida pointed nervously

Epsilon turned to find David sitting in the corner on the top bunk, positioned like a cat. “-climb?”

David said nothing, rather, he looked quite confident from where he was sitting. “Are you sure you want to be on the top? It looks a bit too high for you.” Epsilon asked with concern

“...Yeah...” David said quietly, looking down, immediately regretting it.

“David, are you sure?” Epsilon asked one last time, hoping David would say no. For a second, David looked like he was either going to pass out or cry. “No, down, help!” he said, eyes threatening to well up with tears.

Epsilon wasted no time in getting the small boy down. “Maine, he’s too small and way more scared of heights than you. Please let him sleep on the bottom bunk.” Epsilon begged Maine

Maine let out a huff before he signed his answer. Fine, but if I fall off during the night, I’m blaming you! “Fair enough, and can I ask you guys a personal favour from Sheila?” Epsilon said, making the other boys gather around.

“What?” they asked

“She wants you to watch over David,” he said, “Since he’s the youngest of you boys, you need to make sure he’s safe whenever he’s with you guys. Kind of like how you look after each other, okay?” Epsilon explained

“Don’t worry, we won’t let anything happen to Washington!” York said, puffing out his chest

“We’ll make sure he’s safe.” North agreed.

“Especially Maine. Because you’re the oldest, and he’s bunking with you.” Epsilon said, “Treat him like he’s your little brother.” I’ll try my best. Maine signed

“That’s what I like to hear! Now, who wants to get some breakfast?”


	3. Wash: The First Day

The breakfast tables were full of food and lots of children. The youngest were all seated in highchairs facing the patrons of the house. The toddlers that were in the Chorus wing were all babbling out loud while Delta and a guy wearing an orange shirt with flames on it were cutting up their food. Another group of kids around David’s age were all more busy fighting over each other rather than eating (except one kid with glasses and wearing purple who was eating quietly). And the last table, meant for the Freelancers, was full of them talking, laughing, and joking as they ate. 

David stood there awkwardly, he wasn’t quite sure what to do. The older boys ran off before he was able to reach the stairs, but surprisingly Maine waited until he reached the bottom of the stairs. David was still looking around awkwardly when he noticed Maine gesturing him to come sit with him.

David hesitated, they were so much older than him. He slowly made his way towards them, Maine finally smiling when he reached the table. Guys, this is Washington. Main signed.

“Maine, why is this baby trying to sit at this table?! This table is for us Freelancers!!” a blonde girl wearing a lavender shirt with lime sleeves and blue denim jeans snapped

South, whether you like it or not, he’s staying with the Freelancers for the time being. Maine signed, looking rather annoyed.

“Well, he can go sit with the Reds and Blues! I refuse to have a baby sit at this-” South began

“South!” North said, warningly, “He’s a Freelancer, so he sits with us!”

South glared hard at North, before sitting back and grumbling to herself. “Don’t mind my sister, Washington. She just doesn’t like new people.” North explained, giving a soft smile

“Do I have to go by Washington now?” David asked quietly

“Well, you don’t have to. Florida still goes by Butch sometimes.” Wyoming answered, “Like how we sometimes call CT, Connie. Or Tex likes to be called Allison on the good days.”

“And just like how Wyoming sometimes prefers Reginald.” York teased

“Touché.” Wyoming agreed

“Who’s Tex?” David asked, looking around

York simply pointed to the Red and Blue table, specifically at a girl with blonde hair in pigtails and wearing black all over. “That’s Tex. She’s only six years old, but she’s the meanest of the Red and Blue group.”

“She’ll be turning seven in a couple months. Since she’s hardly with anyone besides Omega or Church, she’s an honorary Freelancer when she wants to be. Carolina was sort of responsible for that.” York explained

“And quite frankly, I have absolutely no regrets.” A red haired girl wearing an aqua shirt and blue jeans retorted, smirking at South, “If it does nothing but make South mad, then I’m totally cool with it.”

“David, this is Carolina. We like to call her our leader of this ragtag team.” Florida said

“I’m Lacy, but just call me 479er.” A girl with brown curly hair and cargo shorts said,

“And I’m CT, but you can call me Connie.” A short girl, wearing a brown dress with her hair braided to one side while the other side was shaved, greeted.

“Do you know any of the other patrons?” North asked

“No, just Epsilon and Delta.” David answered, hiding behind his cereal bowl.

“Well that’s a start. Delta, by the way, is the smart one of the patrons. Epsilon is good at remembering things.” York said, “The guy wearing the light blue button up shirt is called Gamma, be careful of him, he tells the worst jokes ever. And he always keeps calling us a shisno, and nobody knows what that means!”

“The guy wearing dark violet and black is called Omega. He’s really scary and can get really mean. The only ones that are capable of talking to him are Tex, Lopez, and Doc. How Doc managed get on Omega’s good side is a mystery to everyone, considering Doc is the opposite of Omega and the most gentle kid on the planet.” North said, cringing when he saw Omega walk by rather aggressively, “Sometimes Doc calls Omega by his real name, O’Malley. No one is allowed to call him that except Doc.”

Everyone turned to look at the young boy in purple who was smiling and telling Omega how his morning went, while Omega listened with great intent. Everyone gave a look that read disturbed and also terrified. Soon, Omega looked up and gave a mean look to the Freelancers who were watching him. “Hurry up and finish your breakfast! You have chores to do!” he demanded

David ducked and hid under the table, he did not want to make Omega mad. Maine looked down and picked up David from under the table. Maine started signing in a very calm and soothing manner.

“Maine says to not worry, Omega would never hurt a child. He is more concerned about the safety of everyone and is extremely overprotective.” A voice translated, “Even if he shows some of his traits in a rather aggressive manner.”

Everyone looked to see the guy with the orange flamed shirt. “Hey, Sigma.” The group chorused

“David, this is Sigma. He the other patron of the house. He’s the only one that understands sign language and teaches Maine, Junior, and Tucker.” York said, shovelling more cereal into his mouth

“Don’t scarf down your food, you’ll choke.” Sigma chided, “Besides, you’ll have plenty of time to play after you finish your chores.”

Sigma, does David have to do chores like us since he’s staying in the Freelancer wing? Maine signed. 

“Well, maybe he could help you with your chores, or he can go play if he wanted to.” Sigma said simply.

“I can help.” David said, “I don’t mind helping out.”

Okay, then. You can help me with clearing the tables. Maine signed while Sigma kindly translated. David and Maine cleared the tables after breakfast, Maine took the dishes away to the kitchen while David wiped the tables with a damp cloth. 

After everyone finished chores, they all went outside to play. The freelancers were all on the jungle gym, the Reds and Blues were playing some sort of Capture the Flag game in the sandy area, the Chorus group were playing something similar, and the babies were sitting on the porch with Omega and Gamma supervising.

David didn’t want to get in the way of the other freelancers, he didn’t want to play with the Chorus toddlers, and was too shy to ask to play with the Reds and Blues. So he walked around until he saw pavement with a hopscotch layout. He didn’t play hopscotch a lot before coming to Blood Gulch Home, but he wanted to try. He picked up a shiny rock and threw it onto the layout, landing on the three. He hopped onto the first tile and tried to hop to the next tile. He then remembered why he didn’t play hopscotch, he was too small to jump far.

“Ha! Look at the new kid try and play hopscotch! He’s so small he can’t even hop from one tile to the next!” South catcalled meanly

“South, don’t be mean! He’s trying!” North defended

“That kid is so pathetic! Why doesn’t he just give it up?!”

David tried to hold back tears, South’s words really hurt. He was really considering giving up when a hand touched his shoulder. “Maine?” he asked once he turned around  
Maine nodded and grabbed a hold of Wash’s hands. David realized what Maine was doing, he was going to help him jump. David jumped while Maine used his strength to keep David in the air until he could land on the next tile. They did this until they reached the end and back. Then Maine grabbed a hold of David’s hand and took him to play with the Freelancers.

To say that Maine was being nice was an understatement. He was being super gentle around David and making sure that the other Freelancers were letting him play with them. He even saved a spot for him at the table for lunch and dinner.

“Thank you, Maine.” David said shyly, when everyone was getting ready for bed, “For playing with me today and introducing me to the other Freelancers.” You’re welcome, David. Maine signed

“You don’t have to call me David. You can just call me Wash or Washington.” David smiled

...Okay, Washington.

David continued to smile and crawled into his bed. After a round of good night from all the boys, the lights went out and David felt his eyelids close. Good night and goodbye forever, David. He thought, Washington is here stay.


	4. Wash: Promises

It had been two weeks since Washington was placed in Blood Gulch Home when he finally felt at home. He had a couple of new friends that liked him, even if they were older than him. And he slowly grew out of his shell and began talking out more. And he really liked the new name he was given and grew to hate his real name.

“Morning Wash.” York yawned

“Morning York!” he chirped, “Did Wyoming and Florida keep you up all night with their nonstop giggling too?”

“Oh, you’d better believe it!” York groaned, “Once renovations are finished, maybe I’ll be able to get a decent night’s sleep around here!”

“When are renovations going to be done?! This place doesn’t have enough room!!” South shouted, jumping up

Omega looked from where he was sitting and glared angrily at South. “Will you sit down and eat like a normal child?! This is the breakfast table, not a zoo!!” he snarled

“...Sorry.” South said weakly, sitting back down

South is right. When are they going to be done? Maine signed, looking at Sigma.

“I have no idea, Maine.” Sigma said, “We’re figuring it out. No need to panic.”

“Well you can all stop worrying, renovations for everything are finished.” Epsilon declared, walking into the dining room

“Yes! Good night’s rest, here I come!” York sighed happily

“Is that all you care about?” Wash laughed

“Instead of three rooms for the Red and Blue wing, there are now six. And instead of two for the Freelancers, there are now five. We even finished the rooms for the Chorus wing.” Epsilon listed 

“Epsilon, we’re out of milk, cereal, and eggs. We also need more laundry detergent.” Delta called, holding a basket of clean clothes

Epsilon sighed in frustration. “We’re always running out of something.” He grumbled

“Who gets to go with Epsilon?” Wyoming asked

“What’s happening?” Wash asked York

“Whenever one of the patrons has to go do errands, they get to pick three kids to go with them. They usually just pick freelancers.” York explained, sipping his juice

“Well, since Wash is new, he gets to go. Maine can come, and CT can also go.” Epsilon said

“Yay, I love riding in the car!” Connie smiled

“Car??” Wash asked, going pale

Are you afraid of riding in vehicles? Maine signed as Sigma whispered it in Wash’s ear. Wash nodded meekly, looking terrified

Don’t worry, I’ll be there. You don’t have to be scared. Maine continued to sign as Sigma gently whispered to Wash

“...I can’t.” Wash admitted, “I’m too scared. What if we crash?”

“There is nothing to worry about, Epsilon is a very safe driver.” Sigma reassured, “Epsilon won’t crash the car.”

I’ll hold your hand, Maine signed.

“...Promise?” Wash asked, quietly

Promise.

Maine kept his promise and held onto Wash's hand for the entire time. After awhile, Wash felt safer with Maine in the car. He was being very good in the store as he walked down the aisle holding onto Epsilon's hand. He even helped Epsilon with decision making. As soon as they were done, they were out of the store and on their way back. Wash still held onto Maine's hand, just because of his anxiety.

"Great! That was just perfect, we now have everything we need!" Epsilon said as they walked into the kitchen to put away groceries, "And thanks you three for being great helpers!"

"You’re welcome!" Connie said, smiling brightly

“Excellent, Epsilon. Now you can go help Gamma prepare lunch.” Delta said, walking in with his tablet

Epsilon then walked out of the kitchen to the dining room, grumbling to himself. Then Sigma walked in with a notebook and pencil. "Hey kids." he said, not looking up from his notebook.

"Sigma, have you finished the living arrangements for everyone?" Delta asked

"Almost, but I have to rearrange some more. Palomo and Bitters are sharing, and Doyle is sharing with Andersmith." Sigma said, chewing his pencil, "Because Wash now is going   
with Tucker... we now have partners for everyone except Maine."

Maine then walked over and pulled on Sigma's shirt. Sigma stopped and looked down. Did you just say Wash is moving to the Red and Blue Wing? Maine signed, looking confused

"Yes, I did." he said

Does Wash really have to go with the Reds and Blues now? Maine signed sadly

"Unfortunately, that might be so." Sigma answered sympathetically, "Wash now has to move to the Red and Blue Wing."

"Move?! To the Red and Blue Wing?!" Wash gasped, feeling his anxiety build up.

"Now Wash, no need to act up. Besides, it will be good for you to be with children your age." Sigma said, putting his arms around Washington

"NO!" he said loudly, shaking his way out of Sigma's grip, "I don't want to be with the Reds and Blues! I don't know any of them!"

"Wash I'm really sorry. But-" Sigma began

"I don't want to leave the Freelancers!" Wash said, trying not to cry

"Sorry, kiddo." Epsilon said sympathetically, "But that's the way things have to be."

Wash ran out of the kitchen, up the stairs, down the hall to the Freelancer wing, and into the room he shared with the five other boys. Wash picked up his stuffed kitty, crawled under the bed, curled up into a tight ball, and let himself cry out his sadness. He loved being with the Freelancers, they loved him and treated him like a little brother and a close friend. He especially loved being best friends with Maine, as the older kid made him feel safe and happy. He was even willing to learn sign language just to talk to Maine.

Wash cried harder when he realized that Sigma was right. He wasn't supposed to be in the Freelancer group anyway, he was too young. He was put with them when they didn't have room for him in the Red and Blue wing. "I don't want to leave, Mr. Tabs! I'm scared!" he said wobbly, to the stuffed kitty. His face was red, snot and tears running down his face, and it felt hard to breathe. He clutched Mr. Tabs harder and only let out sniffles and whimpers.

He stayed under the bed until there were no more tears left to cry out, he then grew very sleepy. He always knew that after having a bad cry, he would have to take a nap for a while. He decided to close his eyes for a bit and try to sleep for a while. He woke up to the sound of panicked voices "I haven't seen him, where would he have gone?!"

"He wasn't outside in the backyard, did he run away?!"

"Wash! Where are you?! Please come out!"

"If we don't find him, Omega will have to call the police!"

"Wow, I haven't seen Omega this panicked before."

"DAVID!"

The blonde opened one eye sleepily, he then rolled out from under the bed. He lay there for a bit, until he felt his stomach growl. Maybe it's snack time, Wash thought, as he wandered out of the room and down to the kitchen with his stuffed kitty in tow. Before he stepped one foot into the dining room, a pair of arms wrapped around him and squeezed him as hard as he could.

"THANK GOD YOU'RE OKAY!" Epsilon shrieked, "EVERYBODY, I FOUND HIM!"

Soon, the entire home came running into the dining room and all gasped in relief. Soon, the relief in everyone's face left quickly and in its place stood anger and concern

"Where in God's name were you?!" Omega demanded angrily, "I almost called the goddamn cops on you!"

"You had everyone worried sick!" Sigma said exasperated, losing his fun-loving personality

"Do you know how long we were looking for you?!" Gamma asked in a very serious manner

Wash shook his head, "I was hiding in my...old room." He said sadly, "And I guess I fell asleep under the bed."

“Why were you hiding? Was this because of what happened earlier?" Delta asked softly

"Yes, you were...are putting me with the Reds and Blues, and I don't want to!" Wash said, hugging Mr. Tabs nervously

Delta leaned against the wall. "We know this is sudden, but there was no need to hide and be missing for three hours."

"Well, to be fair. We are making him move from an environment where he felt comfortable to one he doesn't know." Sigma said, "Maine keeps him safe, and they have built up trust for each other. Plus, the Reds and Blues sort of have their own groups. And quite frankly, I think they might cause a revolution and make him choose a side."

"Technically, Sigma is correct. The Reds and Blues fight over everything except Doc." Gamma agreed, "Although I think that's because part of it has to do with Omega-"

"Hey!"

"And, I guess we should've asked David if he was alright with moving to the Red and Blue wing." Epsilon admitted, "So I guess everyone is to blame."

Delta kneeled down to Wash's level. "David, do you want to stay with the Freelancers?" he asked

"Yes, they're my best friends ever." Wash replied, clutching Mr. Tabs tightly

Delta sighed heavily before coming to a conclusion. "Alright. David may stay with the Freelancers, with Maine as his roommate. We were going to put Tucker with him...but I see Sigma's point."

Delta then turned back to Wash. "David-"

"It's Washington." Wash pointed out quietly

Delta tried again. "Washington, if you ever have a problem like this again. Promise me that you will come to us instead of hiding. We care about you and we need to know you're safe, promise?"

Wash looked around and saw everyone looking at him with genuine love and care on their faces. "I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of Wash's story for now. Next set of chapters is all about Church!


	5. Church: My Best Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Church's story. It's both very serious and very funny at the same time.

Leonard sat on the swings by himself and slowly swung himself back and forth. The raven haired kid was scowling, a common trait from his birth father. He had bright green eyes and wore bright blue glasses. He was wearing a light blue t-shirt a size too big with denim shorts and sandals because of the hot weather in Valhalla.

Church was looking at the play structure where the freelancers were playing with Tex. He was mad because they asked her to play with them when she had agreed to play with him first. The six year old was specifically mad at Carolina. Why does Carolina let Tex be a freelancer?! He thought, sourly, She doesn’t even like her!

“Hello, best friend!!” a bright voice yelled out loudly, interrupting Church’s thoughts

Church groaned out loud. “What is it Caboose?!” he asked, irritably

“Want to play with me?!” the tall black haired boy asked, enthusiastically

“No, Caboose. I do not want to play with you.” He said, twisting the swing the other way.

Caboose walked to the other side where Church was facing. “But you’re my best friend. You’re supposed to play with me!”

Church started breathing heavily. Caboose was starting to really get to him. “Just because we share the same room, doesn’t mean you’re my best friend.” He explained, sounding agitated

“But Tucker is playing with his dog-”

“Junior is not a dog, despite what Sister says! Junior is his brother-”

“And I really don’t like Tucker. So you’re the only person to play with.” Caboose reasoned

“Why don’t you play with the Reds?”

“Because, the Reds are busy trying to figure out how get our flag and Donut is playing house with Doc and Sister.” Caboose answered

“Well, go play by yourself!” Church said, “I want to play alone!”

“But Church!” Caboose whined, “You’re my best friend-”

Church jumped off the swing and stared right at Caboose. “CABOOSE!! I AM NOT YOUR BEST FRIEND AND I DO NOT WANT TO PLAY WITH YOU!! GO AWAY!!” he yelled, pushing Caboose over.

Caboose fell in the dirt and scraped both of his knees, making him start to cry out loud. Everyone stopped and turned their heads at the commotion. “Church!” Omega yelled, “Get over here!”

Church sauntered over to Omega, with everyone’s eyes on him, especially Carolina and Tex. Good, let them look. What does Carolina care? He thought.

“What exactly gives you the right to yell at another kid like that?!” Omega said, angrily

“He started it!” Church muttered

“I don’t care who started it! You’re the one who yelled at him and pushed him down!” Omega said, pointing in the direction of Caboose.

Caboose was still crying as North helped him up and be taken by the hand of Gamma to get his scrapes cleaned up. Okay, maybe Church felt a little bad to what he did to  
Caboose. While the eight year old was a bit naive and clueless like a toddler, he was older than him and the nicest person ever. “Go inside and sit in timeout!” Omega growled, opening the door

Church stomped inside and towards the timeout corner in the living room. He pulled out the little red stool and plopped himself down, crossing his arms. “It’s not fair!” he said sourly, “Tex is my best friend, not Carolina’s!”

“Yeah, but you didn’t have to take it out on Caboose, you know!” a female voice said

Church turned around to find Tex standing there, arms crossed and frowning. “What do you care?! You’re too busy having fun with your freelancer buddies to remember your best friend!!” he snapped

“Church! I never forgot about you! I just thought we were together way too much, and the freelancers needed another player because 479er is sick.” Tex reasoned

“Leave me alone, Allison!!” he screamed, “You left me!! Just like everyone else!!”

Tex started breathing heavily, Church thought she was going to hit him for sure. Instead, she just stormed away, huffing. Everyone always leaves me, he thought, feeling his chest tighten, Mom left...dad left...and now Tex.

Church didn’t feel like talking to anybody after that, especially to Caboose. He now felt really bad about what had happened, Caboose never deserved that. After ten lonely minutes, Gamma came by. “Now, you will go find Caboose and say sorry to him.” He instructed sternly.

Church trudged upstairs to his bedroom. He could hear Caboose talking loudly to somebody from the inside. He peeked around the corner to see who he was talking to. What he saw next made his frown turn into a grin.

Caboose was playing with the Home’s dog, Freckles. They were playing a game he made up. Church took a deep breath and walked into the bedroom. “Hey Caboose.” He said nervously

The raven-haired boy looked up and smiled when he saw his best friend. “Hello Church! I’m glad you’re not sitting in the corner anymore! Now we can play and be best friends again!” he said

“Wait, you’re not mad at what I did to you?” Church asked

“Well, what you did wasn’t very nice...” Caboose said slowly, petting Freckles

“Yeah...I’m really sorry for making you cry.” Church admitted, looking at his shoes

“But best friends are supposed to forgive each other, no matter what!” Caboose finished, smiling

“Yeah, best friends do that...I guess.” Church agreed

“Want to play with me now, Church?” Caboose asked sweetly

Church was going to say no, but he decided that he had hurt Caboose’s feelings too much today. “Yes, Caboose. I will play with you.” He said, giving his nicest smile

Church sat down on the floor and began to listen to the rules of Caboose’s made up game. Church was still mad at Tex for ignoring him in favor of the older kids, but he would eventually learn to just let it go. For now, he was content to just sit and play Caboose’s Special Game with His Best Friend.


	6. Church: The Secret Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We need a bit of humour before our serious chapter, so here you go!

“Okay Blue team! We have a lot of planning to do!” Church announced after lunch.

The patrons of the house were all in a meeting, leaving only one to supervise all of them. So Sheila was keeping them busy by letting them color or do crafts in the playroom. “Is this an official Blue Team meeting?” Tucker asked, looking bored

“Yes!” he said, “So everyone on Blue Team has to be here!”

Tucker nodded his head and went to find Kaikaina. “What about Tex?” Caboose asked, colouring his entire picture of a flower blue.

Church looked and saw Tex coloring with Wash. She looked up at him and they made eye contact for about three seconds. “Nah, she wants to be with her so-called freelancer friends!” he decided out loud

Soon, Tucker came back dragging Kaikaina along. “What could be so important to keep me from knowing the latest gossip?” she asked, annoyed  
Kaikaina, sometimes referred as Sister by everyone, was the only other girl (aside from Tex) that played with the Reds and Blues. And when she meant gossip, she meant pretending with Donut.

“I know where the Red team is keeping the flag!” he said quietly, looking at the Reds.

They all turned their heads toward the four Reds; Sarge, Lopez, Simmons, Grif (Kaikaina’s brother), and Donut. They were sitting at the table furthest away from them and they seemed to be coloring like they were supposed to be doing. They all turned back to face Church

“They’re keeping it in Doc and Donut’s bedroom. They think it’s the last place to look.” Church said, “But Donut has a bit of a big mouth on him, it was easy to overhear his conversation with Doc.”

“So what’s the game plan?” Tucker asked

“We’re gonna steal it.” Church grinned  
The blues then leaned in and began devising a plan. After the patrons were finished with their meeting, everyone was allowed to do what they pleased. The Reds decided they would go play in Sarge and Lopez’s room, two doors down from Doc and Donut’s. “Okay, Tucker is going to keep watch while everyone else searches for the flag. When we find it, everyone will sneak away very quietly. Got it?” Church instructed

Everyone nodded their heads and tip toed in. “If I were a flag, where would I hide?” Sister asked, going into the closet 

Church opened up their drawers while Caboose checked under the beds. After ten minutes of searching and coming up with nothing, they finally unveiled the Red Team's flag. It was hidden in Doc's doctor play set bag. The bag was something Doc took pride in, as it was a personal gift from Omega himself. "We finally have it! The Red Flag!" Church grinned, pulling out the Flag

The flag itself was just an old red towel, as was the Blue flag. The Reds and Blues were given the old towels when they couldn't find anything to be a proper flag and it kept them out of the linen closet. "With this in our hands, we're unstoppable!" Sister said excitedly

"Heck yeah!" Tucker yelled, "We got the flag!"

"Tucker!" Church shushed, knowing that was too late

"Who's in our room?" Doc asked from down the hall  
There was ten seconds of pure silence. Then, there was the unmistakeably loud roar that the entire home heard and made the building rumble, and that voice belonged to Sarge himself. "SOMEONE HAS OUR FLAG!"

The Blues looked at each other for a brief second, then all hell broke loose. Church, Tucker, Sister, and Caboose sprinted down the hall with Sarge not too far behind them. "GET BACK HERE YOU ROTTEN BLUES!" he screamed

Church flew down the stairs and handed Tucker the flag. "I don't want it!" Tucker hissed, shoving the flag back to Church.

"Just pretend I gave it to you." Church said quickly, running to the living room with Caboose.

Church quickly pushed Caboose behind the couch and ducked behind the curtains. He then stuffed the flag down his shirt. "Just stay there, Caboose!" Church instructed quickly, "You won't be seen."

"Okay."

There was several minutes of terror for the two kids. Tex and the Freelancers, who were sitting on the couch and watching cartoons, began snickering at them. "Shut up, you guys, they're gonna hear us!" Church said angrily

Tex stopped snickering and glared hard at Church. "Maybe I'll just tell where you are to the Reds!" she said angrily, "Besides why wasn't I invited to play?!"

"Because, you're too busy playing with your so-called Freelancer friends to even think of your real friends!" Church growled

Soon, Grif came in and headed towards the curtains. He pulled it away to reveal Church's face. "Alright, give back the flag!" Grif demanded, holding his hand out.

Church sighed and smiled evilly. "Alright, you want the flag? Here you go!" he said, evenly

He then hurled something at Grif, which then landed in his hand. It was a plastic bat, but Grif didn't know that. Grif screamed as loud and as high as he could go. He flung his arms in the air and ran out of the room. "GET IT AWAY FROM ME!" he continued to scream

Church then ducked out of his hiding spot. Sarge spotted him and tried to grab him. Church managed to dodge him and quickly ran outside to the backyard. He pulled the flag out of his shirt, and tied it around the swing set. "We won!" he shouted excitedly, "We won!"

Tucker, Sister, and Caboose all ran outside and began cheering. The Reds were grumbling and looking very sour from the deck. They lost the flag for a week, and their dessert as well. Though, the Blues' victory was cut short when Omega came storming outside. "What on earth gives you the right to run around the house yelling and screaming like a bunch of baboons?!" he yelled, "All of you, inside right now!"

The Blues and the Reds all trudged inside and were seated at their table. "All of you are in timeout for ten minutes! No ifs, ands, or buts! Do I make myself clear?!" Omega said, looking very bitter

They all nodded their heads. Omega walked off grumbling to himself. Tucker leaned over to Church and whispered, "Was it worth it?"

Church leaned back and the Reds were still sulking and looking sore. "Yeah," he whispered, "Totally worth it."


	7. Church: A Frightening Illness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my fault if I make you cry, only slightly

For a few days Church had not been feeling one hundred percent. But he figured it was because the seasons were changing and people were getting colds. He felt a little sore, but stayed in bed for a few days. He hoped whatever it was, it would go away

Church woke up one morning feeling cold. Normally, he woke up dying of heat because of the weather. But today he was freezing cold, like someone left the windows open. He also felt sore all over and his chest hurt. I must have the flu really bad, he thought. He stumbled out of bed just to fall right over. "Church?"

Church turned his body and found Caboose sitting up in bed, blinking the sleep away from his eyes. "Are you okay?" Caboose asked

"Yeah." he murmured, slowly getting up from the floor

"Want me to get someone? Like Sheila?" Caboose asked

Church longed to say yes, get someone to help him. But he didn't want Caboose to panic, and Caboose panicking could end in disaster. "That's okay Caboose." he said, "I'm just not feeling good."

Caboose looked at him funny, like he wasn't if he believed. He then smiled again and said, "Okay, just checking to make sure you're okay."

After he slowly got dressed, he shuffled into the hallway. Caboose downstairs went to find him and Church a spot for breakfast. Church wished Caboose had stayed behind, it hurt to go down the stairs and to breathe. After ten minutes of climbing down the stairs, Church was really out of breath. So he decided to sit down at the bottom and catch his breath. But once he was finally at the breakfast table, Church could not will himself to eat. He just stared at his cereal and watched the others eat. "Are you okay?" Tucker asked him.

By then, Church had whitened completely. While he was normally a really pale kid, he was paler than usual. He even began shivering and his teeth began to chatter. Everyone was looking at him, even Tex began to look worried. "Church, if you're not feeling well. Go back to bed!" she said

"No, I'm fine!" he reasoned, his stomach starting to hurt

"Omega! Church isn't feeling well." Doc called

Omega walked in and took one look at Church. "What is wrong?" he asked slowly, putting his hand on Church's forehead

"I feel cold, and my tummy hurts." Church said, half-heartedly

While it wasn't the complete truth, it was still kind of the truth. He didn't want to mention his chest hurting and his breathing problem. Omega excused him from the table and sent him to Sheila. He told her about his hurting chest and she just gave him a sympathy smile. She gave him some medicine and put him in their little room meant to be an infirmary.

After a few hours, he felt his fever go down. But he still felt sore and cold, and his chest still hurt. But Sheila said he could go down and play if he wanted to. He went outside to the backyard. "You still look sick, man." Tucker said as he joined up with the Reds and Blues

"It's fine! Sheila said I could come outside." he protested

Nobody brought it up after that. They split into their respective teams and huddled in a circle. The Blues were supposed to be playing with the Reds outside for Grifball, but Church asked if he could sit out for the first bit. Tucker said yes and went to find a possible replacement, no one else wanting to play. Sarge just yelled at them and said they could have four players.

The first part of the game went pretty badly. The Blues were losing by a point, even with Tex on their team. After four rounds, the score was finally tied up at 4-4. Tucker went up to Church and begged him to play the last round. Church looked up at him. He didn't want to say that he hurt really bad, so he got up and tried to play. "We'll beat you this time, dirty Blues!" Sarge said

Grif grabbed the Grifball and ran down the to the outside of the backyard. He managed to plow over Tex and Caboose and was running as fast as his tiny body could allow. Church tried to chase after him, but he was going really slow due his sore body and achy chest. Grif was usually the slowest and Church couldn't keep with him. "Church!" Tucker called, "Go faster! Grif is about to score!"

Church stopped and began to gasp for air. It was really hard to breathe and his chest felt like it was going to explode. Grif got past Tucker and scored, winning the game. The Reds were cheering and Tucker was about to yell at Church for being so horrible that round. He stopped when he saw Church hunched over, gasping out loud for air. The Freelancers were watching and Carolina was looking at Church with worry. Church began to cry out loud, Omega jumped up and ran towards him as fast as he could. "Church! What's wrong?!" he asked

"My chest hurts! And I can't breathe!" Church wailed

"Okay, just calm down-" Omega said

"I CAN'T BREATHE!" Church screamed

"Don't panic! I'll think of something!" Omega said, looking really terrified at this point

"Help me!" Church begged, "I'm scared!"

Without missing a heartbeat, Omega picked him up and took him inside. "Delta! Call 911!" he yelled

Delta was at Sheila's desk, talking to the 911 dispatcher, while Omega was getting Church's files out. Soon, an ambulance showed up and two guys came bursting in through the door. They picked up Church and placed him on a stretcher, strapping him in securely. Omega followed them and hopped into the back with him. The ambulance doors were closed and the ambulance speeded away to the emergency room.

What felt like an eternity, the ambulance finally came to a screeching halt. The paramedics rolled out the stretcher he was strapped into and was rushed through the doors. Soon, a young nurse placed Church in a wheelchair and wheeled him away to the children's ward. She got him a hospital gown and a bracelet with his name on it. The next couple of hours were a whirl of blood tests, x-rays, and vital checks. Omega stayed by his side and reassured that he was going to be okay. Soon the doctor came in with a clipboard

"Is he going to be okay?" Omega asked shakily

"He has a severe case of pneumonia. We would like to keep him here as it is very dangerous if it grows worse. He will receive his medication through an IV until he is able to breathe without pain." He said, "He should be able to go home in a couple weeks, depending on how well he gets."

Another nurse came in and stuck the needle in his hand and hooked him up for the IV. Church felt tears roll down his face, he was very scared. He wanted his mommy more than anything. She would have been able to make the pain go away. Mommies, were supposed to do that. "I want my mom!" he cried

The nurse looked at Omega. He quietly mouthed to her "foster child" She gave a look of sympathy to Church and  
gave him a small hug. "You'll be alright." she said softly

Church began to feel fluid being pumped into his system, which began to make him very tired. But he was afraid Omega would leave. "I'm not gonna leave! I'll stay as long as I can." he promised

Church closed his eyes and fell asleep. Church woke up a few hours later to find Omega gone but Delta talking outside with the nurse, and Carolina sitting in the chair beside him. Carolina just sat there, glaring at him. He turned away and refused to say anything to her. They sat like that for a long time, he didn't even look at her once. "I hate you." she said finally

"I hate you too." he countered, sounding tired

"No! I hate you for making me worried sick about you!" she said, growing more angry

"Then don't worry about me." he murmured

"How am I not supposed to worry about you?! Don't you realize how serious this is?!" she asked him, tears rolling down her face

"Why do you care now? You always hated me, you said it's all because I look like dad!" he argued, stopping to take a small breath in

"No! I always worry about you! You're my baby brother!" she said, angrily, "Today, I could've lost you. And it would be all my fault!"

He craned his head to where his sister sat. "I know I said I hated you. But I don't, honest," she sniffled, "I know I said you're like dad, but you're not even close to being like him. I'm sorry for saying that and not being the big sister I'm supposed to be!"

She crawled onto his bed and cradled him, brushing his black hair through her fingertips. "I promise to take care of you from now on. No more leaving you behind, I'll stay by your side all the days of your life." she said.

Church couldn't help but begin to cry again. His sister never said anything nice to him, ever. But here she was, murmuring promises of better days and holding him like mom did when she was alive. She rocked him into a peaceful sleep, and tucked him into his hospital bed. Delta came in and told her it was time to go home, but she would be able to visit tomorrow. Before she left his room for the night, she left him with a small token to cuddle with. It was a worn out stuffed puppy, the same Carolina had when she was six. The last present her mom ever gave her.

"Good night, Lenny. Mom's watching over you."


	8. Church: A Scary Visit, But a Surprise Recovery

Many of the kids from the home came to visit Church while he was in the hospital. They weren’t allowed to visit for the first few days because the doctors said he was still contagious. But by the end of the week, all Church wanted to do was go back to the home. He missed his friends and their silly antics and he missed his sister a lot.

"I wanna go home!" he whined to the nurse, who was ever so patient with him

"I'm sorry sweetie, but you're still sick." she said, "But once the next week is finished, the doctors will finally let you go home."

"Okay," he said, "Miss-"

"Call me Phyllis, darling." the nurse smiled

He looked her over and saw exact similarities between her and Miss Sheila. They both had brunette hair, brown eyes, and olive skin. "You remind me of my social worker, Miss Sheila." he said

Phyllis giggled. "Are you talking about the lady who runs Blood Gulch Home?" she asked, "That's because Sheila is my twin sister. She and I are very similar."

Church nodded his head. "Yeah, she likes all of us, even if there's lots of us." he said

"It was her dream to be social worker and help children like you." Phyllis explained, "I wanted to as well, but help them get better while they're in here."

Church seemed content with Phyllis' answer, so she made sure his vitals were normal. "I'll be back with your lunch later, don't get into any trouble." she said

Church got out of bed and went down the hall to the children's playroom with his movable IV pole. He wandered over to the bookshelf and plopped down to find a book to read. He finally found one he wanted and went back to his room, only to find a strange man sitting in the chair across from his bed. Church was wondering who this man was when the man looked up and stared at Church, giving him a better look at the man.

"Why hello there, Leonard."

Church dropped the book and it fell to the floor with a big bang. "W-Who are you?" Church asked, eyes going wide

"I am a friend of your father." the man said, "He heard you were sick, so I came to see how you were doing."

Church was really scared, his dad wasn't supposed to be here. He said he would never come back for them, and here he was. Sitting in Church's hospital room, acting sympathetic and worried about his son. "Sir, y-you're not supposed to be here!" Church stammered, "M-Miss Sheila said-"

"Miss Sheila doesn't have to know about this. And you can call me Counsellor when you're talking to me." the Counsellor said very calmly.

Church nervously held onto the IV pole. "Y-yes Counsellor, sir." he answered

The Counsellor motioned for Church to come closer. Church didn't want to be close to him, but he didn't want to be punished for disobeying. He quickly picked up his dropped book and slowly walked over to the man. The Counsellor picked him up and sat him on his knee. "When you're discharged, you'll come home to your dad. He's left your room the way it was and all your playthings are still there." he said, in too much of a calming tone.

Church didn't want to go back, his dad never even took care of him. All he did was feed him and make sure he wasn't sick. He never wanted to play with him, or read stories, or take him outside. "But I don't want to go back. He never loved me, he left me." Church trembled, "Just like mom did."

"Leonard, your father would like you to come home. He wants you to be close by at all times." the Counsellor explained

"No, not unless Carolina gets to come home too!" Church said, crossing his arms

"Your father doesn't want Carolina to be at home. He wants you, he thinks you are more special than her." the Counsellor said, rather too bluntly

"NO! I WANT CAROLINA!" he yelled, a bit too loudly, "GET OUT! YOU CREEPY OLD MAN!"

"Church, who's this?"

Church looked up and saw Epsilon standing in the doorway with Carolina. "'Lina!" he breathed, going to his sister

"Hello, Counsellor." she said bitterly, "Why are you bothering my little brother?"

"Hello, Carolina. I was here to tell him how his father wants him to come home." he answered, smoothly

"He doesn't want to go and you can't make him!" Carolina defended

"Epsilon, do I have to go back?" Church asked, nervously

Epsilon looked down at Church and then back at the Counsellor. "Tell Leonard that he will have no chance of getting his son back." Epsilon said

The Counsellor left in a very calm manner, which made everyone uncomfortable. Phyllis returned with a tray for Church. "Is something wrong?" she asked as everyone was still in shock

Church looked up at Phyllis. "There was a man that told me he was going to take me back to my real dad." he said, wobbly

"I promise that your dad will not take you away if you don't want to." Epsilon promised

"But what about the scary man?"

"Don't worry. I'll see to it that that man isn't permitted to be anywhere near you." Phyllis said, "You'll be safe here, you have my word."

Phyllis kept true to her word and the man was nowhere to be seen. Church could finally calm down and focus on getting better. Carolina could even relax more as she continued to visit Church on a daily basis.

Church was finally discharged and was able to go back to the home. Everyone decided to throw a big welcome home party for him, as everyone was scared he would not come home. Plus, they needed some happiness in their lives and just a good excuse to celebrate. Church was glad to be back, and he intended to make things right with everyone.

"Sorry I got sick, guys." he said out loud to everyone

Everyone laughed and then Gamma tried to entertain with jokes, making everyone groan in annoyance. Tex seemed to have forgiven Church and wanted to play with the Blues again. "The freelancers may be bigger, but they're boring." she admitted

The Blue team was overjoyed that their leader was finally back. They had lost their dessert for a week to the Red team without Church.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Church's story finally comes to an end. But don't worry, we'll hear more of it later. Next chapter is all about our favorite orange mercenary...Felix. And yes, Sheila and Phyllis are two different people unlike canon.


	9. Felix: First Home

The home was alive and well, with the children playing in the living room or watching cartoons. Since it was raining, they couldn’t go outside to play. They didn’t care, they had lots of toys and lots of company.

Near the front, Sheila was filling paperwork as usual, and also trying to entertain the two boys who were sitting quietly. The older boy had very dark skin like coffee, and jade green eyes. His hair was long and pulled into a ponytail, despite the other patrons' pleas for him to get a haircut. He appeared no older than eight. The other boy had to be no more than five with tan skin, brown eyes, and black hair that was naturally spiky. The older boy had a stoic look on his face while the younger one was surprisingly very happy.

Luca sat with his hands in his pockets. He honestly didn't know why he was sitting in this weird home. He glanced over at Felix who was smiling and happy talking to Sheila in perfect English, despite his Asian appearance. Felix, on the other hand, was very excited to be in this home. He had never had a home, except when him and his momma lived in South Korea. _I like this lady,_ he grinned, _She reminds me of someone..._

Soon, Sigma walked in holding a baby only nine months. The baby had long blonde hair in soft curls and blue eyes. The baby also wore a blue onesie with butterflies on the front. “Sorry, but Eta here is not letting me have a chance to get things done.” He explained, looking quite exhausted

“Why don’t you just get Carolina to watch her for awhile, she’s very good with the twins anyway.” Sheila suggested

Sigma stood there as if he was hit on the head by a rubber mallet. The young Asian boy smirked, and then proceeded to giggle. “You look funny!” he laughed

Soon, Carolina walked in, grabbed Eta, and walked back out. Felix laughed even harder, while Luca rolled his eyes. “Um, anyway...What is your boys’ names?” Sigma said, getting over his moment

“Felix.” The young boy said, “And his name is Luca. But he doesn’t like being called that, he likes to be called Locus.”

“Stop, talking.” Locus said, feeling a bit frustrated

“Oh, and he doesn’t like it when I talk a lot, because it annoys him.” Felix continued, “He says all I do is run my mouth like a motor.”

Locus began to shift uncomfortably in his seat, he just wanted Felix to shut up. All Felix’s mouth ever did was cause trouble. “Felix, please! Stop talking!” he said, growing agitated

“But Locus, I like to talk.” Felix answered

“Anyway! My name is Sigma, and I’ll show you around the home.” Sigma interrupted, trying to distract Felix before Locus could do anything drastic

Sigma showed them the living room where all the kids were watching _Lego Ninjago_. All the boys were getting excited during the fight scenes. They all began talking excitedly as soon as the show ended and the commercials came on. North, York, Wash, Wyoming, and Maine jumped up from their spots and got in formation. “Kai, Master of Fire!” York declared, putting on a bright red hoodie

“Jay, Master of Lightning!” Wyoming said, wrapped in Florida’s blue hoodie

“Cole, Master of Earth!” North smiled, covered in a black hoodie, borrowed from Tex

_Zane, Master of Ice!_ Maine signed, pulling the hood of his white hoodie over his head, getting in a ninja stance

“And Lloyd! The Ultimate Green Ninja!!” Wash said, jumping up with a green hoodie on

“NINJA...GO!!!” the five yelled out loud, causing Omega to fall out of his chair. He growled as he was laughed at and went somewhere else to finish his paperwork.

The Red and Blue groups all laughed at the older boys while the Chorus toddlers all cheered them on. “We fight snakes and evil bad guys using our awesome ninja powers!” Wash said, in a brave voice

“Snakes?!” a boy with orange hair, pale skin, and glasses asked, looking terrified.

“Don’t worry Simmons! We won’t let any snakes attack you!” Wash said, “Just like how we protect Grif from bats!”

“...Moving on...” Sigma said, walking out of the room.

Locus and Felix looked at each other for a brief minute before Felix shrugged his shoulders and followed Sigma. Locus, on the other hand, stayed behind briefly looking closely at one boy in particular. Wash looked up from where he was standing and caught Locus’ gaze. They looked at each other for awhile, before Locus looked away and went to catch up with Sigma.

“Hmm...” Wash said to himself. Maine put a hand Wash’s shoulder as if to ask what was wrong.

“Nothing, the new boy just looked at me funny. That’s all.” Wash said

Locus caught up to Felix and Sigma, who were about to go into the Chorus wing. “This wing is for children ages three to five. By the way, how old are you boys?” he said looking down at Felix and Locus.

“Seven.” Locus said simply

“I’m four!” Felix answered cheerfully

“Well...that changes things.” Sigma said, face going serious

“What?” Felix asked, still smiling

“We were going to put you two together in the Red and Blue wing.” Sigma said, “But Felix is way too young to be in that wing. We will have to split you two up.”

Felix’s smiled dropped. “I...we can’t be together?” he asked, looking broken

“I’m sorry Felix. But you will have to be put in the Chorus Wing while Locus stays in the Red and Blue Wing.” Sigma said.

“...I can’t.” Felix said quietly

“Felix-” Locus said calmly, putting a hand on Felix’s shoulder

“I can’t! But if I have to, then fine!” Felix said angrily, shrugging Locus away, “어쨌든당신과함께있고싶어하지않았다!”

Felix then stomped away. Sigma looked at Locus for help. “Let him go.” Locus said, putting his hands in his pockets, “He’s not used to being apart from me. But he’ll forget all about it. For now, let him have his tantrum.”

“Are you sure?” Sigma asked

“Yeah, he’s a bit spoiled because I never let him out of my sight, and that might be my fault.” Locus explained, “He also doesn’t like being left behind, and that was his mother’s fault.”

“How?”

“I don’t know, I was out looking for something to eat when I found him crying in the alley.” Locus said, “He kept speaking in some language. He didn’t even notice me until I spoke to him.”

“Well, you can go play. I’ll let you know who your roommate will be later.” Sigma said, “Besides, I think it’d be good for you to meet the kids of the home in a more peaceful and...civilized manner than what you originally saw.”

Locus shrugged his shoulders and walked down to the living room. Sigma then looked at Felix’s profile and went to down to find Sheila. He found her in the dining room talking to Felix, who was smiling and laughing as she was sorting out papers for her university class. “Hey Felix, hey Sheila.” Sigma said, “Felix, could I talk to Sheila for a bit?”

Felix stopped smiling. “Okay,” he said, “I guess I’ll go play with the other kids.”

He sulked away, looking like a kicked puppy. “Is this about Felix?” Sheila asked, turning her attention to Sigma

“Yes, he was very upset when I said he had to be put in the Chorus group. And I was wondering, is there any information about Felix and where he came from? I heard him talking in some unknown language.” Sigma asked, checking Felix’s profile

“Yes, he said he speaks English and Korean quite well. He said so himself.” She answered

“Well, that explains the language problem. Unfortunately, nobody here speaks Korean.” He sighed, “And it’s a shame that he might eventually forget his language.”

“He told me he prefers to speak in Korean. He says he doesn’t mind speaking English, but he says his native language sounds more pretty than English does.” Sheila giggled, “Besides, I’ve been looking and I’ve found an alternative school that can help someone like Felix. He can be taught in Korean and English, so he could be bilingual.”

“Well, that might work.” Sigma said

“Plus, it’s the same one we send Maine, Donut, Caboose, Doc, and Tex to.” She reasoned, “So we could easily register him into a program where he could be taught in Korean.”

“Well, if you can get Alpha to agree, then I guess it’s okay.” Sigma agreed

“Sigma, have you finished your paperwork?” Delta called

Sigma scowled and walked off to find and finish his papers. Felix came back around the corner, looking around shyly. “Miss Sheila?” he asked quietly, “Is it okay if I can just stay and talk to you for awhile?”

Sheila smiled. “Of course you can, dear.” She said warmly, “You are always welcome to come be with me whenever you like.”

Felix smiled and sat down next to Sheila, she gave him crayons and blank paper to draw on as he talked. He liked talking to her, she would just listen to him and only gave her thoughts when needed. What he liked about her most was that she made him feel like a priority. “Thank you, Miss Sheila. For talking with me.” He said, smiling the biggest smile he had

“You’re welcome.” She said, pulling him into a hug. He breathed in and sighed happily. She smelled like soft peaches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What Felix is saying at the one part is: I didn't want to be with him anyway!


	10. Felix: A Bit of a Tantrum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like Felix needs to know that there are consequences to his actions and that he can't get away with everything. He doesn't like the other patrons, but he loves Sheila

Felix was still a bit mad that he and Locus wouldn’t be able share a room. But somehow, Felix also didn’t mind a bit. He always had issues of being bossed around by someone older than him. His new roommate, John Andersmith, was easy to convince since he was younger by a couple months. He easily convinced the younger boy to switch beds with him.

“I have the bed by the door, in case something bad happens like a monster attack. Then you’ll have time to run to the closet while I fight it off.” Felix explained, a couple days later at the breakfast table with the Chorus group

“Wouldn’t the monster scare you?” Andersmith asked, looking bewildered

“Nope!! I’m not scared of anything!” Felix said proudly

“You’re the bravest 4 year old I’ve ever met.” Palomo exclaimed excitedly

Felix turned to look at Locus, who seemed to be glaring angrily at him. Felix then felt nervousness creep into his stomach. He knew what that look meant, Locus wanted to have a talk with him. He wasn’t scared of Locus, he wasn’t scared of anything, but Locus could be intimidating when he wanted to be. After dinner, Locus grabbed Felix by the wrist and pulled him into the hallway.

“Stop boasting, Felix! Don’t say things you know aren’t true!” Locus scolded

“Relax, Luca. I just like to talk lots, and the other Chorus kids like me.” Felix retorted coolly

Locus then grabbed Felix by his shoulders and pulled him close to his face. “Don’t. Ever. Call. Me. Luca. Again.” Locus snarled, “And try to act your own age, not like mine.”

Felix gulped as he started to nod his head nervously. “Got it.” He murmured out Felix slipped out of Locus' grip and went to find the Chorus group. They were getting dressed in warm sweaters to play outside in the leaves. Fall had finally come, and everyone was taking advantage and going outside in the cool weather. Felix looked at himself, he only had an orange t-shirt and black pants. He had shoes too, but the patrons would never let him outside without a sweater. _I wanna go outside too_ , he thought.

"Sweetie, you need a sweater if you're going to play outside." a voice said

Felix turned around and saw Sheila holding out a black sweater with an orange stripe down the middle. He hugged her and put on the sweater. The sweater fit him perfectly, if not a bit big on him. "Thank you, Sheila." he smiled

"You are welcome, sweetheart." Sheila smiled, pushing him outside with the others, "Now, go play."

Felix practically skipped his way out the door. He met up with the Chorus group, who were playing with the Reds and Blues. "Felix! Be on our team! We're playing Hide and Go Seek!" Palomo exclaimed out loud

"Yeah, the Redth are altho hiding with uth. The Blueth get to theek!" Jensen said, trying to pronounce correctly since she a bit of a speech problem

"Oh boy, I'm good at hiding! Nobody will ever find me." Felix said, proudly He turned and looked at his seekers. Tucker and Simmons could a bit of a challenge, Grif and Church looked like they wouldn't even try, Caboose was...well, Caboose, and Locus-

"Locus?!" he demanded, "He's playing?!"

Locus looked up and down Felix. "Yeah, I can play if I want to." Locus replied Felix turned red from anger.

He hated Locus joining in on games he wanted to play. And Locus could easily find him, since they were inseparable since their days on the streets.  Felix tried not to show his frustration.  "Okay, We'll count to twenty and then we seek you guys." Tucker announced, "Is everybody ready?"

Everyone nodded their heads, eager for the game to start.  Once the Blues and Locus started counting, everybody else ran for a hiding spot.  Most of them ran inside and picked spots that a small child could easily hide.  Grif ran and hid behind the couch, Simmons squeezed himself into a cupboard on the floor, Donut hid behind the velvet curtains, Sarge ducked into a laundry basket and piled clothes on top of himself, and the toddlers stayed outside and jumped into the bushes.

Felix had a better idea, he ran down the hall and jumped into the closet.  He then rearranged everything so that it looked like he wasn't there, just shoes and clothes.  He then sat down on the floor and waited until the others came running up, yelling that they couldn't find him.  He never got to live that moment.  Ten seconds later, Locus was opening the door and managed to find him through the cleverly arranged mess.  "Found you." Locus said simply

The blues were cheering in their victory and ran off to find everyone else.  Felix just there, upset.  "Felix, come out of the closet.  I already-" Locus sighed

"Shut up!!  You're a cheater, and you know it!!" Felix snapped

"Felix, I found you fair and square." Locus said, trying to stay calm

Felix stormed out of the closet and shoved Locus as hard as he could.  Being the four year old he was, he couldn't budge Locus much.  But Locus found that he had had enough of Felix's pouty attitude, so he shoved Felix with the same strength.  Being bigger and older, Locus managed to knock Felix onto the ground.

Felix felt anger bubbling up inside him.  He felt so mad, he wanted to hit somebody.  So he began hitting Locus.  His hits weren't that damaging, but his screaming was loud enough for everyone to hear.  It didn't matter that Locus didn't mind, it was the fact that Felix was acting like this.  Epsilon pulled Felix away from Locus while Delta pulled Locus out of the way.  "Felix, this is unacceptable behaviour.  No one is allowed to act this-" Delta scolded

"Felix?"

Everyone stopped and turned to Sheila, who had been busy doing paperwork in the next room.  Felix still screaming and trying to hit Epsilon.  Sheila made her way over to Felix.  "Felix, can you look at me?" Sheila asked

Felix stopped screaming and turned to face Sheila.  His face was still red, though probably more embarrassed than upset.  He felt his anger melt away, and in its place was sadness.  Miss Sheila was upset with him, he was a disappointment to her.  Would she...not like him anymore?

Felix wasn't sure how long he had been crying, maybe ten minutes.  But it felt like an eternity went by before he was able to calm down.  Sheila had picked him and sat them both down at the table she was working at.  When he was finally done crying, she pulled away from the hug and handed him some Kleenex.  "Are you okay, Felix?" she asked, softly

He nodded his head slowly, wiping his eyes.  "...Have you ever had a temper tantrum before, Felix?" she asked

Felix shook his head.  "No, s-sometimes I g-get really mad, but not like that." he sniffled

Sheila turned to whisper something to Delta.  Delta then looked at him sternly.  "While I don't believe that Felix should go unpunished..." Delta began

Felix sunk lower in his seat.  Was Delta going to yell at him?  Make him sit in timeout?  Have Omega yell at him?  "...It's best if he stays here for the time-being with you." Delta sighed, fixing his glasses and leaving

Felix sighed in relief.  He was sure he was going to get punished that time.  "Felix.  Instead of timeout, you have to draw a picture of why you were upset." she said, handing him a crayon and a piece of paper.  "Then we can work to solve the problem.  Okay?"

Felix had seen Miss Sheila do this with Tex a couple of times.  He felt a bit embarrassed drawing why he was upset, but it felt better knowing someone would understand his story.  He then gave his picture to Sheila.  "So what does this picture show?" she asked

"It's me in the closet, hiding from the blues while playing Hide and Seek.  And Locus found me, and I got mad because I know he cheated.  So I was mad that I was the first one caught, and Locus knows where my hiding spots are." Felix explained, "So I shoved him, but then he shoved me and I fell down.  And then I got so mad that I wanted to hit him." Felix explained

"Felix, you know that what you did was wrong." Sheila explained, "After we work on how to control your anger, you will have to go say sorry to Luca.  Okay?"

"Okay." he whispered

"Now, let's work on how to solve the problem." she said

Once they were done talking, Sheila sent him off to go find Locus.  Locus was found sitting on his bed, reading a book.  Locus looked up and stared at Felix.  "Locus, I wanna say sorry.  I was mad, and I know you didn't deserve to get hit.  So, I'm sorry." Felix said, tugging on his shirt nervously

 Locus closed his book.  "I should apologize too.  You were right, I did cheat." he sighed, "But I did it because I got scared.  What if we never found you?  What if you got taken away?  I worry about you, you're the only one I care about."

 Felix nodded his head, clearly understanding.  "But you're still a cheater." he smirked

 Locus shrugged his shoulders and went back to reading.  "Whatcha reading?" Felix asked

Locus sighed and glared at Felix.  Felix smiling innocently like a little brat would.  "Alright.  Sit down, I'll read it to you."

Felix hopped onto the bed and watched as Locus turned back to the beginning of the story.  Locus made sure Felix was comfortable as he cleared his throat and began the story. 


	11. Felix: Don't Ever Leave Me!

"Momma, where are you going?" _Felix asked hesitantly_

"I'm going away for awhile, but we'll see each other again someday." _A young Korean woman said, giving a sad smile._

_It hurt Lila more than anything to leave her son behind. But this was the only way to save her son from heartbreak. He deserved so much more than this. He deserved to grow up safe, happy, and carefree. He wouldn't have to take care of her anymore, he would be a normal, smiling child._

"How come I can't come with you?" _Felix asked, growing more and anxious_

"You just can't. But don't ever forget that I love you, my baby boy." _She said, tears threatening to fall as she kissed her son's forehead_

"Momma, don't leave me!" _he sniffled, trying hard not to cry_

"I know, but I have to. Because it's the only way." _She shushed in a calm, soothing tone_

"I promise I'll be a good boy, always." _He said wobbly, tears spilling down his face. He pushed himself into his mother's arms. He could hear the words to his favorite lullaby, and breathed in the scent his mother always had on. She often smelled like soft peaches and grew to love the scent, making him more calm._

"I want you to do one thing for me, though." _She said, wiping his tears away_

"Yes, momma?" _he asked, whispering almost._

"You have to speak English from now on. But don't ever forget your Korean heritage, okay?" _she instructed gently, hoping he would understand_

"...yes momma." _He said hesitantly_

_She smiled and gave her son a big hug. She would miss him, her little ray of sunshine, and his big smile. She finally pulled away and let go. She slowly turned away and walked down the street, unable hide her sadness any longer._ "Be happy, Felix." _She whispered, tears falling down her face. Seeing his mother leave him in an abandoned alleyway was the last thing Felix ever saw, and the last time he would ever see his mother again._

" _Momma?" he called, the scene immediately going dark._

" _Momma, where are you?"_

_The darkness was growing darker, if that was even possible, It was getting harder to breathe. Felix felt himself get more frantic with each passing second._

" _MOMMA!"_

Felix awoke with a start. His heart was pounding, and tears were rolling down his face. "M-Momma?" he whispered, "W-Why did you leave me?"

He tried to get his breathing under control. He shouldn't be like this, momma had told him to be brave, that's what all the other kids expected. His nightmare was just a memory, but it was a painful and heartbreaking memory. His mom left him, and he never knew why.

Soon, he couldn't handle being alone, he needed someone. He scrambled out of bed and ran out of the room he shared with Andersmith. He ran out of the Chorus wing and down into the Red and Blue wing, crying and sniffling. Delta had just turned the corner when he saw Felix run by.

"Felix-"

"Let him go." A voice said

Delta turned to see Sigma leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. "Sigma, Felix should not be awake at this hour." Delta said firmly, "If he has a problem, he should come to us."

"Delta, he doesn't want to talk to anyone. He wants someone to comfort him. There's a difference." Sigma sighed, "Right now, there's only one person Felix can trust. So just let him go."

Delta wanted to argue his point, but decided to let it go. In the end, Sigma was right. Everyone had that one person they would go to in times of need. South would call for North, York sometimes needed Delta, Church had Caboose, Junior had Tucker, Tex needed Omega, Kai had her brother Grif, Washington had Maine, and Felix needed Locus.

Locus awoke to the sound of knocking on his and Tucker's door. He rolled to look out the window, scowling when he saw the darkness outside, with only specks of light indicating dawn. He looked over to see Tucker not in bed, clearly sneaking off to stay with his brother. Locus stomped out of bed, to give Tucker a piece of his mind for waking him up so early in the morning. He flung open the door, only to find Felix standing in his pajamas, eyes red and runny nose from crying.

"Felix?" he asked, anger immediately melting away, with concern for Felix remaining

"L-Locus! I w-want m-my momma!" Felix cried

Locus ushered Felix in quickly and closed the door so none of the other children heard Felix's cries. He sat Felix down on his bed and hugged him as hard as he could. Locus didn't need to speak, he just held Felix tightly while the younger child continued to cry uncontrollably. It was moments like these that Locus felt concern and compassion for Felix. Everyone saw Felix's annoying, smug, happy, and funny side. But only Locus saw the sad, scared, helpless Felix that wanted nothing more than a mother's love.

After awhile, Felix's cries turned into sniffles and whimpers. Locus pulled Felix back and started to wipe away his tears. Despite looking big and mean (not big like Maine, but big to the Reds and Blues) he was being very gentle. "I'm sorry, Locus. I'll leave." Felix said shakily, slowly shifting away from Locus' grip.

"No." Locus said immediately, "You're not leaving until morning."

He motioned Felix to lie down on the bed. Felix accepted hesitantly, then relaxed as soon as Locus wrapped his arms around him. "Luca," Felix said quietly, "Why did my momma leave me?"

Locus would have cringed or have gotten mad if anyone else called him Luca. But this was Felix, vulnerable and scared Felix. So it really didn't bother him that much, but still disliked being called Luca regardless. Locus just sighed as he tried to give an answer. "Because...maybe your momma knew she wouldn't always be around or afford to take care of you. Maybe she wanted you to not be sad. But rather to always be happy." He explained

Felix murmured in agreement. "Still wish she could have taken me with her..." he breathed out sadly.

"Well, if I ever decide to leave...I promise I will take you with me." Locus declared quietly

"You promise?"

"I promise."

They remained like that until Locus heard Felix breathing deeply, indicating slumber for the five year old before gently stroking his hair. As much as Locus hated to admit it, but he truly loved Felix like a little brother. Ever since he found the little kid wandering the alleys by himself, he felt it was his duty to take care of him. Felix's patterned breathing and the warmth he radiated was enough for Locus to close his eyes and finally have sleep overcome him.

Tucker would come back first thing in the morning. Instead of crawling into bed, like he always had, he saw quite an interesting sight. Locus holding an innocent looking Felix, who was curled into a small ball. Locus slowly opened his eyes and simply looked at Tucker. Locus expected Tucker to laugh out loud and run to blab to Church. Instead, Tucker gave a small nod and climbed back into bed.

"Don't worry." Tucker said, "I never saw a thing."

Locus would never consider Tucker as a friend, or at least as a best friend, but he did see himself slowly getting along with him and making themselves a little more than just roommates.

"Thanks...Tucker."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We need a couple of tender moments with Felix. I kind of always felt a bit sorry for him at first. But the last part of his story will change him into the loving-hating person we know he actually is.


End file.
